Joy To The World
by Goddess of Torment
Summary: An uber story with Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer, Jett, and Jace set around the ol' south around the thirties or so...


Joy to the World Three Dog Night  
  
Jerimiah was a bullfrog! Was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine. And he always had some mighty fine wine.  
  
Singing... Joy to the world! All the boys and girls, now! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me.  
  
If I were the King of the World. I'd tell you what I'd do. I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the the war, an' make sweet love to you.  
  
Sayin' now.... Joy to the world! All the boys and girls! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me.  
  
You know I love the ladies. Love to have my fun. I'm a high night flier, and a rainbow rider, a straight shootin' son of a gun! (All right!!) I said a straight shootin' son of a gun!  
  
Joy to the world! All the boys and girls! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me.  
  
Joy to the world! All the boys and girls! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me.  
  
Joy - to the world! All - the boys and girls! Joy - to the world! Joy - to you and me!  
  
Joy to the world! All the boys and girls, now! Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me. (Oh yeah!)  
  
Joy to the World  
  
Author: Annie Beaudry Fandom: Xena: Warrior Princess Genre: Uber Rated: G - PG (Not sure quite yet.) Warnings: None  
  
Cast of Characters: Gabby -- Gabrielle Joshua -- Joxer, youngest triplet Jethro -- Jett, oldest triplet Jason -- Jace, middle triplet Cyndi -- Xena, Gabrielle's closest friend  
  
Spoilers: C'mon. the show's over! Do I really have to mention spoilers? There aren't any anyway. ( Author's notes: This is my first Uber type story. It takes place in an indeterminate time sometime during the Prohibition period. As always, any comments would be appreciated and is all I will receive for this little piece of phluph. ;) And now. without further ado.. Here's the story. Thanks Greg, for the lyrics!  
  
The little dark-haired boy glanced over at the pretty blonde-haired girl sitting next to him and, blushing, he quickly looked away again as he saw that she was looking at him as well. He pulled an old dirt-smudged handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. "Boy, shor is hot today!" he commented.  
  
"Sure is," the little girl agreed, and splashed her feet in the cool water of the creek.  
  
"Wanna see wut ah found?" he asked shyly, holding a shoebox tightly on his lap.  
  
"It better not be no snake, Joshua," she said with a worried look on her face.  
  
"Naw, t'ain't no snake," he replied and opened the box, showing her the contents. "See?"  
  
The little girl screamed and batted the box away where it fell into the water with a soft splash. "Ugh! What was it?"  
  
Joshua looked sadly at the box slowly sinking. "Jeremiah wuz a bullfrog. He wuz a good friend o' mine."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," she responded with regret.  
  
"S'okay. I ain't nevah unnerstood a single word he said," he replied, then added with a mischievous grin, "but ah helped him t' drink his wine, and he always had sum mighty fine wine!"  
  
"Aw, you ain't nuthin' but a liar! How can a bullfrog make wine?" she asked scornfully.  
  
Joshua was about to respond when a loud shout behind them startled them and they leaped to their feet. They turned to see who had startled them and another dark-haired boy grinned triumphantly back at them.  
  
"Ah scared ya! Boy, ya should've seen yer faces!" The boy laughed.  
  
"Jethro! That was jes' plain mean!" the girl scowled with her hands on her hips.  
  
"Aw, shucks, Gabby! I din' mean nuthin' by it," he pouted, and scuffled his feet in the dirt. Then his face brightened and he looked at Joshua. "So. whut's this ah hear 'bout some wine?"  
  
Joshua scowled and toed the ground. "S'nuthin," he mumbled, hoping his brother would go away.  
  
Jethro raised an eyebrow and waited, crossing his arms on his chest, knowing his little brother would talk soon enough.  
  
Joshua sighed and looked up at his brother. "It's in the ol' shack jes' down the crick a ways," he answered reluctantly.  
  
Jethro grinned and slapped his brother on the back. "Well, alright then! Les go on down an' have ourselves a drink!"  
  
Joshua waved his arms, struggling to maintain his balance, but it was a fruitless effort and he fell into the creek. He glared at his older brother who was laughing loudly at his misfortune. He tried several times to stand up, but the muddy creek bed combined with the swift current made this virtually impossible.  
  
"Oh, Joshua!" Gabby cried, bending down and holding out her hand to assist her friend. "Hang on! Lemme help you!" She bent over a little further and lost her balance, landing beside Joshua in the creek. The sound of Jethro's laughter burned her ears.  
  
Jethro's laughter was abruptly cut off as he found himself face down in the muddy creek bed. "Whu. Who did that?" he demanded, looking around. "Oh, it's you," he scowled as he saw the dark-haired girl helping the others up. "Whuddya want, Cyndi?"  
  
"I heard you laughing and knew something bad happened," the raven-haired girl responded. "Looks like I was right. Are you two alright?"  
  
Joshua and Gabby nodded. "No thanks to him!" Gabby glared at the glowering boy.  
  
Cyndi was about to respond but was interrupted by some distant music. "Sounds like we've got company," she remarked.  
  
Joshua and Jethro looked at each other and groaned, knowing whom it was.  
  
"Brudders! Hwhy did chu not invite me to play wit' chu?" a colourfully dressed boy asked, mimicking a Hispanic accent. "Not dat ah wanted to get dirty," he commented as he saw the muddy clothes.  
  
"Aw, why don'cha go play with the wrong end of a gun," Jethro complained.  
  
"Ah 'appen to be a luver not a fighter," Jason grinned. "So, hwhere are we goin'?"  
  
Gabby grinned back. "Joshua found some ol' bullfrog wine and we're gonna go find it! Wanna come?"  
  
"But of course!" Jason replied, putting his arms around the two girls and started walking along the creek, with his two brothers following behind reluctantly.  
  
The five friends soon reached a small rundown building. Joshua led the way to the back and lifted a board, holding it so the others could get in. Feeling around in the dark, the boy soon felt the matchsticks and candle he had hidden. Lighting the candle, the kids could see several dusty bottles filled with a dark liquid.  
  
Jethro's eyes gleamed as he picked up one of the bottles. "This the stuff?" he asked as he began trying to open it. Finally, he managed to pull out the stopper and put it up to his nose. "Well, down the hatch!" he grinned as he took a mouthful of the dark liquid. A moment later his eyes bulged. Coughing and spluttering, he tried in vain to rid his mouth of the burning taste of the long-forgotten moonshine.  
  
The others had already left the shed and were laughing as they ran back up the creek.  
  
"That's fer always punchin' me!" Joshua grinned and yelled over his shoulder.  
  
"And for dumping that bottle of ink all over my nice new dress!" Gabby added.  
  
Jethro stumbled from the shack and dunked his face into the icy waters, trying to wash the taste out of his mouth. "Ah'm gonna git those guys!" 


End file.
